Aah! Bicester: Matchgoing 1st-7th March

[HORN]

If Mansfield lose this by 1, much less 10, they'll be hopping mad. The visitors' lacklustre finishing is all that's keeping this goalless.

[Cousin Boneless]

West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Coventry City
FL Championship

I described this game as a must not lose and lo and behold, we lost. Truth be told Albion were the better team by a stretch and although we had a spell in the second half, we could not find an equaliser. Ellis Simms was particularly wasteful.

One talking point was Callum O'Hare. He was subbed off at half time and there is no talk of his 'head being turned' with his contract running out and interest from other clubs. Truth be told, he's an important player for us but has not done well since we beat Leicester in January.

[jameswba]

MFK Fomat Martin 1 AFC Nove Mesto 0 (Slovak 3rd League - West)

A former student and her friend came to sit near me for the second-half. The friend's boyfriend was among the Martin subs, and we agreed that perhaps he would come on and decide the game.

The first-half had been very even, with Nove Mesto possibly shading it. Certainly they didn't live down to my idea of what a second from bottom Slovak 3rd tier team would be like. They did seem to tire as the game went on though. They kept a good defensive shape, but struggled to hold the ball up-front. A couple of substitutions might have helped, but they didn't make any until after they fell behind.

By contrast, Patrik Ciger - the boyfriend - took the field in the 80th minute. In the 81st, he was through on goal but opted to pass instead of shoot. In the 82nd, he was in a similar position again. This time he made the right choice, and finished confidently, making our half-time time chat seem very prescient. 'He should have started, he's very talented,' our ex-student observed. Her friend smiled in agreement. Happy as I was for them, I felt for Nove Mesto too, though this showing suggests they ought to start climbing the league soon.

Officially 200 in attendance. I saw one gorgeous labrador gambolling about outside, but don't think he/she entered the ground.

[jameswba]

[jameswba]

[longeared]

AFC Phoenix 4-1 AFC Bentley
Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North

Everything locally in the NCEL got rained off but this survived, given that this has happened before it makes me wonder how much is down to Phoenix's pitch draining well (they play on top of an hill) and if there's a different threshold for games going ahead here. There was certainly a patch in the middle where the ball were hardly bouncing, and there was a lot of mud. This is the same division that recent OTF thread subjects Doncaster City play in, the elite nature of it was demonstrated by a Bentley sub spending half time leaning on a dugout chatting and vaping. Both sides are mid-table.

Phoenix had the better of the first half with some nice touches but didn't take their chances, then Bentley scored with virtually the last kick of the half. The reaction from the home players was the Corinthian "fucking last fucking minute" "fucking hell" "fuck's sake". Bentley had a propensity to play out from the back and their keeper surrendered possession to allow the equaliser. Not much happened for a long time after that until Phoenix ran away with it in the last ten, a direct free kick for the lead then the last pair being a cross from the sub on the left wing converted at the far post. In between those the home keeper made an excellent save from the vaping Bentley sub.

Attendance 22 (a figure they arrived at by a guy going round early second half to perform a manual count) plus one dog. I thought there might be an audio soundtrack from the New York but we were evidently too far round the valley for that. "Can't hear the Wednesday fans" said the away keeper as they came out for the second half. Talk now, lad.

[Third rate Leszno]

Warrington Town 2-1 Bishop's Stortford
National League North
Attendance 1003

Town came into this safely in mid table, with the visitors rock bottom and 20 points from safety. In order to satisfy ground grading requirements, a new seated stand is going up behind the goal and that will allow segregation to be enforced, though today there was little need as Stortford only brought a handful of fans.

I bought a meat and potato pie, that would've been better described as a potato pie with some watery gravy in it. The Bovril was nice though, not watered down and with pepper on hand to give it a little heat.

Somehow I had missed that Andre Wisdom had been playing for Warrington this season, his career having taken something of a downturn after he was the innocent victim of a stabbing in Toxteth a couple of years ago. Today he started on the right of a back three. Having decided to stand in an uncovered part of the ground, I was less than impressed when a 20 minute deluge drifted over Cantilever Park, and after a bright start from the home side (in yellow) the rain seemed to ahem, put a dampener on their attacking play too.

Goalless at the break, the visitors were not playing like a team cut adrift at the bottom of the league, and they took the lead with a shot fired through a crowd of players after a corner was knocked down to the edge of the box. This woke up the home side who made a number of breaks and chances before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts equalised with a low shot that beat the keeper at the near post. A flurry of subs followed, and one of them, Matty Grivosti, put Town in front with his first touch after a shot from Josh Amis was parried out. Both sides had chances after that, but no further goals, only a late red card for Stortford for something that happened off the ball and out of my view behind a dugout as I was moving to the exit for a quick getaway.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Carlisle 1-3 Reading, and that's as much as I can be bothered saying about it.

At least I get a few weekends off now, due to travels.

[Fearful Symmetry]

North Ferriby 0 Dunston 1
Northern Premier League East

Ah, fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck. Undoubtedly one of those afternoons where you question your sanity, as a freezing cold wind whipped in off the Humber, blowing persistent rain into our faces, and watching your team huff and puff and ultimately come up short.

Considering in recent weeks the Villagers have been energetic and hard working in their performances, for the first 45 they seemed very leggy, and this allowed the visitors to gain a foothold in the game and it was no surprise when they took the lead with a free header from a corner. Goalie Tom Jackson protested long and loud that he was held from attempting to claim the ball, but he wasn't exactly backed up by his team mates, and a subsequent video clip from behind the goal shows a Dunston player in front of him with an arm kind of draped around him, but not enough to stop him moving. If he makes an attempt, he probably gets a free kick. Just shit goalkeeping, really.

Ferriby came out for the second half with renewed vigour, and created 3 gilt edged chances, only to be denied by a combination of brilliant goalkeeping and woeful finishing, but then came an incident that has still got me shaking my head this morning, wondering if I really did see and hear what happened.

The ball is played into the Dunston penalty box, a minor scramble ensues and in amongst it the visitor's number 7 pulls off the most blatant handball you'll ever witness, and with the referee only yards away, a penalty is surely the only outcome. He waves play on. As the crowd goes apoplectic, the linesman on our side, who had an equally unobstructed view, comes towards the home dugout and manager Chris Bolder rightly seeks an explanation. As we're stood right next to them, we hear every word and the lino states that although he reckons there was a handball, the low sun prevented him from seeing whether the player was actually looking at the ball at the time (he was). When Bolder asked him why he hasn't told his referee that he's seen the ball hit the hand, the linesman replies "sorry mate, I'm not getting involved". Cue howls of derision and a few choice phrases being directed at the hapless official, with our resident linesman abuser Tall Nick stating "ins and outs, do the subs, pocket the 50 quid. Fucking disgrace!" Sentiments we all echoed well and truly.

This knocked the fight out of the home side, and Dunston held on comfortcomfortably after that and took the 3 points back North.

Football, you bastard.

[Simon G]

Division 3
Cheltenham Town 0-0 Burton Albion

My last 0-0 before yesterday was against Burton Albion at home last season. Both games were as bad as each other.

Neither keeper was tested, Burton had one chance where their striker beat our keeper to the ball and hit and hope from 40 yards only for our defender to clear it before it got to the goal. Oh, and the 4th official allowed a substitute on before a player had left the field so the game nearly restarted with Burton having 12 players (it took our fans shouting at the ref for it to get noticed).

That was as exciting as it got!

[RobW]

Lincoln City 0 - 0 Stevenage Borough

Three certainties in life. Death, taxes and Steve Evans getting booked for being a mouthy prick.

A horrible game, against horrible opponents. Yes, their tactics are clearly successful but I couldn't fathom watching that lot week in week out. Bob Madeley's whistle was very busy, and though I heard a few fans around me moan at him, I don't think his assistants were particularly helpful. That said, Lincoln didn't do themselves any favours and Ethan Erhahon should have been sent off for two yellow cards. The first for being a mouthy prick and the second for a cynical pull back/trip.
There were few incidents of any note. City were without McGrandles (thigh), Mandroiu (who the fuck knows) and Ethan Hamilton is now out for the season. Jack Moylan made his first start, out of position in central midfield and did alright. Teddy Bishop and Hackett did their best to provide incisiveness but Taylor didn't see much of the ball up top. Disappointing level of performance after Tuesday's great shift. One of their players clattered into Lukas Jensen after he had claimed the ball in his hands and got away without a booking. Ben House got his customary yellow card. There might have been one shot on target each, but I can't remember either. Two of the worst games i've seen this season have been against Stevenage.

[Jobi1]

York City 2 Wealdstone 3
National League (att: 4,592, inc. 179 Stones)

I usually do my match report on the train home, but didn't last night as firstly, a friend who lives halfway between York and Hull joined me for the first part of the journey and we were enjoying silly pre-mix cocktails like we were on a hen party or something, and secondly, because that's the most sad and deflated I've felt after a game for a long time.

The Hinshelwood era started with a number of significant team changes, including the dropping of three stalwart players who've barely missed a game this season in favour of several who divide opinion and haven't had much of a look-in lately. There was a new formation and, as expected, a new attacking focus. The weather was quite extraordinary – occasional bright sun, frequent torrential downpours of rain and sleet, and a rainbow that actually came down inside the stadium (below). Equally extraordinary was one fingertip save the Stones keeper made to keep the scores level – the best I can remember seeing for a fair while. The deadlock was broken though when a long punt down the middle from our keeper was deftly helped over theirs by Billy Chadwick. Stones, who had looked extremely limited, to be generous, unexpectedly equalised right on half time though, an unmarked header from an incredibly soft free kick.

If City's defence had looked somewhat open in the first half, it degenerated into outright panic at the start of the second. First, the keeper inexplicably spilled a tame shot, giving another Stone a tap in, before our left back, who'd been caught out of position regularly, once again completely failed to track an opponent, who was then able to canter away and score easily, prompting chants of "This is embarrassing" from the home end. The new boss sent those old dropped players on, the change including hooking the recalled £100k flop defender Tyler Cordner, who'd looked way off the pace, but to no real avail as the whole team looked so jittery. Chadwick scored another nicely taken goal late on, but in all honesty an equaliser looked unlikely, and indeed Stones could have had a couple more themselves.

Where now for City though is a bleak question to face. The day's results dropped us back into the relegation places and on the evidence of yesterday I see very little prospect of us climbing back out, despite the untold riches lavished on the team this season by our increasingly incompetent looking new owners. Stockport I believe hold the record for the biggest financial losses in a season in this division – wouldn't be surprised if we challenged that, but at least County exited the division in the right direction. The folly of a youth let loose with Daddy's money, it seems. What a waste – of time, of resources, of opportunity.

[Southport Zeb]

Longridge Town 2-3 Padiham (NWC Premier Division)
Colne United 5-2 Addingham (Craven League Division Two Cup QF)
Blackburn Hawks 10-3 Widnes Wild (NIHL One North)

This weekend sees the first groundhop of the year, but as its local to me its of less interest to me than most - I've done all the planned grounds multiple times, including visits to half of them this season. I did do the Saturday morning game, at Longridge, and got to watch a well fought contest ultimately decided by a late winner for the visitors. Pick of the goals was Longridge's second, just before half time, which was blasted into the top corner. I happened to be pretty much in line with the ball throughout its flight, and so had an excellent view of it. The match started with good views over to the snow capped Bowland Fells, but cloud reduced visibility as the game went on.

The hop went on to Garstang before the day's final two games in Blackpool fell to waterlogged pitches. I went the other way, to the 3G pitch between Nelson & Colne College. This is the home of Colne United, currently top of the Craven League's third tier, although they have played more than any one else. Today's cup game saw the struggling visitors take an early lead and then put up a good fight for the first half especiallly. However the hosts scored a flurry of goals early in the second to give themselves a three goal cushion; this pretty much took the wind out of Addingham's sails and the remainder of the game was fairly listless.

I ended the day with ice hockey in Blackburn. The hosts had won the league cup the previous weekend, and came out flying in this one, going in 4-0 up after the first period. The second half saw slight signs of life as Widnes managed to get on the scoresheet, but still not as often as Blackburn. 9-2 after two. The final period was a bit more relaxed with just a single goal for each side, although one of the Widnes players did decide to have a fight. This caused a bit of a delay, as it took the officials some time to work out exactly how many offences he had committed. As the regular season enters its final month, Blackburn have long secured a playoff place (not that this is a great challenge, with eight of nine teams making it) but still looking to improve their seeding from their current third. Widnes have not yet secured playoff qualification but would need to see the two sides below them both go on major runs to end the season.

[cantagalo]

Brentford 2 Chelsea 2
Premier League
Att: 17,140

It's a measure of how concerned I am that a point in this game feels like a bit of a relief despite increasing our 'points lost from winning positions' total to a scarcely believable 29. It was a poor first half. Brentford were far too passive and caused Chelsea few problems. Chelsea weren't much better but created two chances for Nicholas Jackson. The first one he predictably messed up, the second he headed in completely unmarked by any of the three centre backs whose job it was to look after him - much the same as Jarrod Bowen had done five days earlier.

Thomas Frank's team talk worked wonders and Brentford had a really good half hour during which they could have put the game beyond Chelsea's reach. Mads Roerslev scrambled home the equaliser and Janelt and Reguilon both hit the post and a magnificent bicycle kick from Wissa put them ahead. At this point, Chelsea fans started singing Jose Mourinho's name. Now I know that many of them are not particularly enamoured with Pochettino but come on...

And then, as usual, Brentford surrendered the initiative, began to sit deeper and you knew the equaliser was coming. An unnecessary corner given away and the cross comes in. Three centre backs are looking at the ball as it sails over them towards two completely unnoticed players at the back post, one of whom, Disasi, heads the equaliser.

I think we might just be ok. I was encouraged by looking at the record of the bottom eight teams over the last six games. Brentford only have four points from these six games but have miraculously not lost ground on any of their relegation rivals. And after next week at Arsenal, the fixtures finally begin to get a little easier, on paper anyway.

[Cousin Boneless]

Bedworth United 2-0 Corby Town
Northern Premier League Midlands Division
Attendance: 287

A game between two teams who cannot go down (Bedworth) and probably now cannot go up (Corby). The visitors were probably favourites but never really got going. Bedworth scored after about ten minutes and should have got another before half time.

In the second half, Corby Town, backed by a good contingent of fans tried to get back into it, but to no avail. For some reason they kept hoofing it on a 3g pitch. Both sides had chances but Bedworth scored with about three minutes to go to the chagrin of the away supporters.

[My Name Is Ian]

Aylesbury Vale Dynamo 0-3 Harpenden Town
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Attendance: 125

At about 8.30 yesterday morning, someone asked the St Albans City Twitter account whether there'd be a pitch inspection or not. "No", was the answer they got. Can you see where this is going yet?

An announcement was made that there would be one as I was getting off the train in St Albans at about eleven. It had by all accounts been raining all morning, but it was easing off as I got there and didn't rain again until well past three.

But this inspection wasn't until 12.45 for a 3.00 kick off. Now, I don't feel sorry for myself, here. I make these decisions and if I misjudge it then fair fucks. But 12.45? And then after all that they didn't announce the confirmation until well past 1.00. Neither Hampton nor Richmond are *that* far from St Albans, but it's not a straightforward journey. Certainly not by public transport on a Saturday in Britain in 2024. And regardless, National League South distances are further. St Albans supporters have to go to Weymouth, Yeovil, Weston, Bath and Torquay this season. Supporters have to leave early. You can't be calling a game off at that time for a Saturday afternoon kickoff.

My reserve match at Colney Heath was already called off and I just couldn't bring myself to go to Boreham Wood, but there was a match on at Harpenden, who have a 3g. It was an away game which was switched. I have some vague memory of Aylesbury being in a flood area, but that could be a false memory. But it was only five minutes on the train and a few minute walk the other end, so rather than just heading back to the coast with a grumpy look on my face, I headed over there instead.

I played at Rothamsted Park quite a bit when I was in my twenties, usually under floodlights, and it had a slightly untamed feel to it then, bushes and then pitch black behind one goal. I also remember playing a cup final there in about 1997 and there was barely a blade of grass on the entire pitch, so I was glad they had the 3g installed, for the first time this season. At least this damn game would be on. But the orderliness of it all means that Rothamsted Park lost a little bit of its character. There was no hot food, no programme, and no team board that I could see. The bar was open, though, so I did at least get another drink and a packet of crisps.

It was... a game of football. Harpenden were the better team, but left it late to wrap it up. The ground has got two stands on one side and nothing else. It all looks very modern and nice. The rain spitting across the sunshine was a nice visual effect, though I was annoyed to later see that I'd missed a rainbow right on half-time because I was in the bar. It would have been my third of the season. Don't drink, kids.

I think the crowd was slightly higher than usual because it really was the only local game on other than Wood. I saw the long-running St Albans club historian, local paper writer (I suspect by now retired, though conceivably not) and now club podcaster there, but no other familiar faces. Apparently, this was the first home league match that City have had rained off since about 1994, and I should probably remember that because I'd have been a regular there then, but nothing comes to mind.

It wasn't all bad. I got to catch up with some old friends in town for a couple of drinks, St Albans Cathedral is as handsome as ever, and I did get a game of football in, though I've got to request a refund for my St Albans ticket and it does feel, really for the first time this season, as though it was a bit of a waste of time. More local next week for me again, if anyone's actually playing.

[Capybara]

Brackley Town 0-0 Farsley Celtic
National League North
Att: 555

Given the amount of rain that was still falling as I left home, and the sheer quantity of standing water all through the Chilterns on the way to Bicester, I was more than half-expecting the game to be off. But it was fine in Bicester and there was no further rain on the ‘bus journey to Brackley. Brackley is a market town with one of those wide high streets that accommodate the market in the middle (I assume; it wasn’t market day). It’s pleasant enough without being spectacular. It does have a large antiques place that features from time to time on those oft-repeated BBC TV shows. The ones where the expert finds a pot dog or an old suitcase or something marked at £37 and takes it to the counter and asks “What’s the best you can do on this?” and they look at it and say “£32” and the expert says, “I was thinking more £25,” and they reply, “OK as it’s you, my very best price is £28,” and they agree and take the item to the auction and it goes for £12 all profits to Children in Need. Anyway, I had a good look around. It’s huge. There were several piles of Ordnance Survey maps, mostly reasonably priced, but none that I need. Football programmes as well. I’m not sure who they are expecting to sell them to – I’d imagine most collectors would go online, to a specialist shop or a fair – but, again, they were all reasonably priced which you rarely get when you see them in charity shops. One jumped out at me. Sheffield United v Middlesbrough in 1968. I could instantly recall that Boro won 3-1 and, more importantly, that David Chadwick scored direct from a corner. Who played for Middlesbrough last week? Not a clue. A Davenport’s beer crate did take my eye, but it was marked at £25 and even if I’d been Philip Serrell or Roo Irvine I don’t think I’d have been able to get it down to the fiver I was prepared to pay and, while Brackley’s ground regulations don’t specifically prohibit empty beer crates, I’m not sure I’d have been allowed to take it in.



One problem with Brackley is that there are no Guide pubs. There’s one of those craft beer shops where you can also sit and have a drink that are quite fashionable these days but, as it doesn’t open until 3pm on a Saturday, it wasn’t much use. I did find one place serving a solitary real ale and it was decent enough. Then it was off to the ground. St James Park (yes, another one) is located close to where the town’s first but, latterly, lesser railway station stood and just around the corner from the Mercedes Grand Prix racing factory, for those who are interested in that sort of thing (I’m not). It's a real bits and pieces stadium which seems to have had pieces added on at different times, perhaps to meet different grading requirements over the years. On the entrance side there is a small covered stand just beyond the hallway line but the main structure is the block containing the changing rooms and a large clubhouse. On the opposite side are two similar seated stands, one in each half, and there is covered standing at each end, straddled at the ‘home’ end by some quite pleasing uncovered terracing. The pitch is on a slope which runs diagonally from one corner to the other, albeit with a dip in the middle.

Oh, the game. Brackley went close early on and had most of it, but Farsley defended well and tried to hit the home side on the break, usually to be let down by a poor final ball or an offside flag. When Brackley did get through they were frustrated by the Farsley ‘keeper who had a very good afternoon. Farsley are player-managed by Clayton Donaldson who twice went down unconvincingly in the penalty area when it looked like he'd have done better staying on his feet. Brackley had their own much stronger shout for a penalty near the end but the referee turned it down. Even the Farsley fans near me felt they had got away with that one and were happy to travel home with a point.

[E10 Rifle]

Leyton Orient 0-1 Bristol Rovers

A bit of a rearguard masterclass from the Gas, this, barely getting out of their half after half-time but never letting our rather blunt and uninspired attack get behind them. Had Orient scored in a lively opening 10 minutes, we might have had a better game but once Rovers scored when a free-kick appeared to drift straight in past a dozing goalkeeper, Sol Brynn (if anyone did get a touch it should have been ruled out for offside), we ran out of ideas a bit for all the relentless possession and string of corners. We were running on empty with two teenage loanees at the end, which is probably why playoff talk is best abandoned.

[Artificial Hipster]

Campion 3-0 Barton Town
NCEL Premier Division

Plan B went the way of Plan A and so Plan C was a trip to the Maningham area of Bradford to tick off another former NWCL side, their name deriving from the St Edmund Campion Youth Club from whom the club's first players were drawn when it was founded in 1963.

Scotchman Road is fairly typical for the level, either possessing a ramshackle charm or else just plain ugly depending on your disposition. For the large modern clubhouse behind the nearside goal and the walls of the similarly modern school buildings rising immediately beyond one touchline such that they appear to be a part of the ground itself I am, unusually, leaning towards the latter camp.

A couple of rows of washed out white plastic bucket seats are bolted onto 2 steps of terracing along the school-side touchline, just about stretching to the halfway line with a corrugated metal roof above them supported by scaffolding. A large section of the roof is missing though, as is the front piece that once bore the club's name. As these are still present on the photo Futbology uses, I had to wonder if this was a consequence of one of the recent storms.

Across the pitch a slightly more sturdy looking frame holds up another corrugated metal roof covering a small area of flat standing. The ground's only real boast is the view it offers beyond this touchline towards the magnificent, Italianate Lister Mill with it's 249 foot high chimney towering above what was once the largest silk factory in the world.

Silky was the last word I would have expected to use to describe the football played on a pitch whose condition will have had the groundsman weeping by the end. I watched Campion launch an ultimately unsuccessful aerial bombardment of the Wythenshawe defence on the immaculate surface at Hollyhedge Park in the Vase last September but yesterday in the mud they were all neat, one touch passing for which their opponents from beside the Humber had no answer.

Three goals in the first half hour ended the game as a contest but not as a spectacle. Three times the frame of the goal denied Campion in the second while Barton's keeper made a number of fine saves, not least from his own defenders - this was a game which could easily have featured a hat trick of own goals. All of this occurred after the visitors had squandered the perfect opportunity to take the lead themselves. No.7 was given all the time in the world to pick his spot but still wanted a little bit more, a defender's outstretched boot preventing him getting a shot away the penalty for his indecision.

Of the crowd of 130 I would say at least half had diverted here on route to Valley Parade. Both clubs had tweeted confidently at lunchtime that their games were going ahead. I'd have been disappointed had this one succumbed to the showers - nothing which hadn't been forecast - which subsequently hit. I'd have been bloody livid had I travelled up from Nottingham.

[Ray de Galles]

Wimbledon 1 Franchise 0 - Curtis (90+4)
Plough Lane
Division Four

Well, well, well. One of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had at a football match in my life and a potentially pivotal & galvanising chapter in The Dons' history. To beat that loathsome excuse for a football club in a fan-funded stadium in Merton was victory enough. To have the winning goal scored when it was and be met by scenes I have barely ever experienced before was very special and I'm still buzzing over 24 hours later.

Objectively it was a pretty poor football game and the Franchise's much lauded playing credentials of recent months were not apparent. Wimbledon were the more attacking, forceful side and the nature and timing of the winning goal bore that out. The triumph didn't just happen on the pitch though, the whole club got the attitude to this troublesome, unwanted fixture 100% right.

From the build up on social media in the week and the pronouncements of players and management team, the DJ making sure every song in the lead up to kick off was pointed (I Am The Resurrection, London Calling, I Won't Back Down, Back Stabbers and more), unused sub Harry Pell hammering shot after shot in the warm up wide of the goal and in to the away end, the full commitment and energy of the team playing in a previously untried formation newly devised by the coaches but most of all the home support making sure every single one of the visiting verminous players, coaches and customers knew how much they were hated and how much the fans right were behind everyone to do with The Dons.

I couldn't do the winning goal and response justice so I'm copying a couple of the best tweets from those I've spent most of my waking hours since scrolling through to try and convey what it felt like. There are many, many more doing the rounds and they're worth checking out. The minute of play after the restart was absolute nervous agony but the final whistle and long drawn out scenes afterwards were bliss and my brain and body are still feeling the after-effects now. That's not alcohol-related though a few of us did dash back to Molesey for some celebratory pints where we were eventually joined by Wombles left back Jack Currie and his dad for a full postmortem on the match.

I'm claiming an assist on the winning goal for my new flag, which couldn't have had a more apt and momentous game for its debut than a St David's Day weekend vanquishing of those absolute cunts.

https://twitter.com/mattmaginniss/status/1763937474978402611?s=61&t=AGYaHxwtRU_HNs0TqPMaJg

https://twitter.com/prtownley/status/1763996423320654219?s=61&t=AGYaHxwtRU_HNs0TqPMaJg

[E10 Rifle]

Nice one, RdG. Yours was the weekend match report I've most been looking forward to on this thread,

[Hot Orange]

Heartwarming stuff.

[Artificial Hipster]

Tell me the kid the goalscorer picked up survived the celebrations? The footage stops before he reappears.

[Ray de Galles]

Tell me the kid the goalscorer picked up survived the celebrations? The footage stops before he reappears.

I've seen reports that he is safe & well and ecstatic about being part of things.

[Artificial Hipster]

I bet he is. And if not, what a way to go!